Fida Islaih's Blog, page 27
January 7, 2016
Culling My Goodreads TBR list
Hello Poetteers,
I have a todo list app that sends me reminders and that lets me really plan ahead, so I just set it in to remind me every month to check in with my goals.
One of my goals is to cull goodreads tbr list. I had 1,200+ books. On day one I got it down to less than 800 books. On day two I finished culling my list. I got it to a total of 582 books, woohoo! My new goal is to keep my goodreads tbr list under 1,000 books. It makes me feel good to see a less daunting number and to know only the books i really want to read are on that list.
Thank you,
Fida
P.S. This may not help if you are also culling your goodreads tbr list but you can add my poetry books to your goodreads list.
I have a todo list app that sends me reminders and that lets me really plan ahead, so I just set it in to remind me every month to check in with my goals.
One of my goals is to cull goodreads tbr list. I had 1,200+ books. On day one I got it down to less than 800 books. On day two I finished culling my list. I got it to a total of 582 books, woohoo! My new goal is to keep my goodreads tbr list under 1,000 books. It makes me feel good to see a less daunting number and to know only the books i really want to read are on that list.
Thank you,
Fida
P.S. This may not help if you are also culling your goodreads tbr list but you can add my poetry books to your goodreads list.
January 5, 2016
Happy New Year!
Hello Poetteers,
Happy New Year!! As you may or may not know, I’ve been blogging for almost 8 years. I’m surprised myself. One of my goals is to bring my focus back to my blog. As you may have seen, i’ve slacked off but check out my other social media to see where i’ve been.
My other writer resolutions are:
Edit/revise LOUDER ALONEsend it off to beta readersquery it by the end of this yearAlong with Louder Alone I want to attempt to write 4 new manuscripts. Two of them I want to attempt novel in verse. Read at least 40 books this yearI want to read at least one classicExpand my poetry skill
Try out calligraphyWork on Spoken Word
I hope by the end of the year I can cross these off my list or at least be close to getting to cross it off my list.
Thank you,
Fida
Happy New Year!! As you may or may not know, I’ve been blogging for almost 8 years. I’m surprised myself. One of my goals is to bring my focus back to my blog. As you may have seen, i’ve slacked off but check out my other social media to see where i’ve been.
My other writer resolutions are:
Edit/revise LOUDER ALONEsend it off to beta readersquery it by the end of this yearAlong with Louder Alone I want to attempt to write 4 new manuscripts. Two of them I want to attempt novel in verse. Read at least 40 books this yearI want to read at least one classicExpand my poetry skill
Try out calligraphyWork on Spoken Word
I hope by the end of the year I can cross these off my list or at least be close to getting to cross it off my list.
Thank you,
Fida
December 1, 2015
Currently (11)
Happy December!
I'm still reading BIG MAGIC by Elizabeth Gilbert.
I finished NaNo with 52k! I love my story. I hope to continue onto this month with my daily writing habit.
I hope to have a new mini project this month along with a couple of events to be a part of.
Love, Fida
Check out my book, Her Treasures. If you need gift ideas, poetry will make a great gift!
I'm still reading BIG MAGIC by Elizabeth Gilbert.
I finished NaNo with 52k! I love my story. I hope to continue onto this month with my daily writing habit.
I hope to have a new mini project this month along with a couple of events to be a part of.
Love, Fida
Check out my book, Her Treasures. If you need gift ideas, poetry will make a great gift!
November 30, 2015
Sunshine & Winning
Hello Poetteers,
It's another short post. I won NaNo yesterday!! I'm happy that I still love my story.
I'm blessed with so much. I love the bit of sunshine in these beginning cold months.
Love, Fida
Check out my book, Her Treasures.
It's another short post. I won NaNo yesterday!! I'm happy that I still love my story.
I'm blessed with so much. I love the bit of sunshine in these beginning cold months.
Love, Fida
Check out my book, Her Treasures.
November 26, 2015
Book Review: Carry On
Hello readers,
I recently finished CARRY ON by Rainbow Rowell. It's a big book but I got through it. The beginning was a bit slow but in the end I loved it and gave it 5 stars. It reminds me of Harry Potter with the magic and boarding school. It was similar yet so different. The romance was still suspenseful even though you know a bit from the bits in Fangirl (if I remember correctly). It was heartfelt and funny. It has the classical Rainbow Rowell ending.
Love, Fida
Check out my book, Her Treasures.
I recently finished CARRY ON by Rainbow Rowell. It's a big book but I got through it. The beginning was a bit slow but in the end I loved it and gave it 5 stars. It reminds me of Harry Potter with the magic and boarding school. It was similar yet so different. The romance was still suspenseful even though you know a bit from the bits in Fangirl (if I remember correctly). It was heartfelt and funny. It has the classical Rainbow Rowell ending.
Love, Fida
Check out my book, Her Treasures.
November 23, 2015
Blessings & Nano
Hello Poetteers,
It's a short post today. Even though I don't have much time I'm blessed to have time.
I'm blessed with health. I'm loving the ability to feel the generosity of the people around me.
I'm currently at 25k for NaNo. I'm blessed with the chance to write, to write what I love and love what I write.
Love, Fida
Check out my book, Her Treasures.
It's a short post today. Even though I don't have much time I'm blessed to have time.
I'm blessed with health. I'm loving the ability to feel the generosity of the people around me.
I'm currently at 25k for NaNo. I'm blessed with the chance to write, to write what I love and love what I write.
Love, Fida
Check out my book, Her Treasures.
November 17, 2015
Currently (10)
Hello readers,
I'm reading CARRY ON by Rainbow Rowell and BIG MAGIC by Elizabeth Gilbert.
I have no time to watch much. I'm watching THE VOICE here and there.
Loving
Chocolate & journaling. Writing short stories and my novel.
Thinking about
Family and friends I consider family.
Anticipating
Next month's events
Wishing
For a sense of normalcy.
Making Me Happy
My novel. Heart to heart moments and cat cuddles. Silence, pace and quiet.
NaNoWriMo
I'm at a total of 20k!!
Love, Fida
Check out my book, Her Treasures.
I'm reading CARRY ON by Rainbow Rowell and BIG MAGIC by Elizabeth Gilbert.
I have no time to watch much. I'm watching THE VOICE here and there.
Loving
Chocolate & journaling. Writing short stories and my novel.
Thinking about
Family and friends I consider family.
Anticipating
Next month's events
Wishing
For a sense of normalcy.
Making Me Happy
My novel. Heart to heart moments and cat cuddles. Silence, pace and quiet.
NaNoWriMo
I'm at a total of 20k!!
Love, Fida
Check out my book, Her Treasures.
November 16, 2015
Poetry - Sestina Form
Hi everyone,
One goal I set as a New Years resolution was to explore new poetry styles.
I was reading Lynn Crawford's Fancy earlier. It's a Sestina-Story. Without looking at the notes I was able to find three of the six words. I was talking to my mom and she ended up reading the story too. She didn't want me to give her the words until after she read it. She got one of the six words right. This format is interesting. It has gotten me excited and re-inspired my love for writing poetry.
I did a bit more research on Sestina and it continues to put me in awe. Some people have different ways of interpreting it. Check out this poem. The author picks six words and sticks to only those six words, just rearranging them yet the different punctuation adds to the poem.
I attempted to write a piece:
The fall of leaves
blanket the ground
the cats play in it
as it swirls into the flowers
I stay indoors with my coffee and chocolate
The smell of coffee and chocolate
lures me inside
tracking the leaves that fall
the cats follow me inside
where flowers also grow
I cuddle with my blanket
I flower into a young woman
my cats fall into one another
I'm old enough to have coffee everyday with my chocolate
I blanket my thoughts
I fall for a lover
and continue to blanket my thoughts
my cats are suspicious of him
I give him my chocolate
and make coffee
and he gives me flowers.
I cover my cats in a blanket
as they are sick
and can't smell the flowers
I'm sick too and fall
I can't smell the coffee and chocolate.
I'm covered in a headscarf
sometimes in a blanket
as I flower into a young woman
my cats are suspicious of me
people congratulate me with flowers and chocolate
as I make them coffee.
I then worked on turning it into a story:
Grow with the Fall
The fall leaves blanket the ground. I watch as my cats play in the leaves. The leaves swirl into the flowers. I stay indoors with my coffee and chocolate.
I’m outside for a few minutes to take a photo of my cats. The smell of coffee and chocolate lures me inside. On the path to the door, I track the leaves that fall. The cats follow me inside. The different rooms have flowers that continue to grow. I cuddle by the fire in my blanket.
I flower into a young woman. As I grow up my cats grow up too. I watch as my cats fall into one another. I let myself think I'm old enough to have coffee everyday with my chocolate. I blanket my thoughts that say otherwise.
I fall for a boy and continue to blanket my thoughts. My cats are suspicious of him. I give my lover some chocolate along with the coffee I make. In turn, he gives me flowers.
I cover my cats in a blanket as they are sick. They can't smell the flowers. I'm sick too and fall into my bed. I can't smell the coffee and chocolate.
Around the boy, I hide my eyes as if under a blanket. Outside, I'm covered in a headscarf as I flower into a young woman. My cats are suspicious of my looks. People congratulate me on deciding to wear the headscarf with flowers and chocolate and I make them coffee.
You can find information and more poems here.
Love, Fida
Check out my book, Her Treasures.
One goal I set as a New Years resolution was to explore new poetry styles.
I was reading Lynn Crawford's Fancy earlier. It's a Sestina-Story. Without looking at the notes I was able to find three of the six words. I was talking to my mom and she ended up reading the story too. She didn't want me to give her the words until after she read it. She got one of the six words right. This format is interesting. It has gotten me excited and re-inspired my love for writing poetry.
I did a bit more research on Sestina and it continues to put me in awe. Some people have different ways of interpreting it. Check out this poem. The author picks six words and sticks to only those six words, just rearranging them yet the different punctuation adds to the poem.
I attempted to write a piece:
The fall of leaves
blanket the ground
the cats play in it
as it swirls into the flowers
I stay indoors with my coffee and chocolate
The smell of coffee and chocolate
lures me inside
tracking the leaves that fall
the cats follow me inside
where flowers also grow
I cuddle with my blanket
I flower into a young woman
my cats fall into one another
I'm old enough to have coffee everyday with my chocolate
I blanket my thoughts
I fall for a lover
and continue to blanket my thoughts
my cats are suspicious of him
I give him my chocolate
and make coffee
and he gives me flowers.
I cover my cats in a blanket
as they are sick
and can't smell the flowers
I'm sick too and fall
I can't smell the coffee and chocolate.
I'm covered in a headscarf
sometimes in a blanket
as I flower into a young woman
my cats are suspicious of me
people congratulate me with flowers and chocolate
as I make them coffee.
I then worked on turning it into a story:
Grow with the Fall
The fall leaves blanket the ground. I watch as my cats play in the leaves. The leaves swirl into the flowers. I stay indoors with my coffee and chocolate.
I’m outside for a few minutes to take a photo of my cats. The smell of coffee and chocolate lures me inside. On the path to the door, I track the leaves that fall. The cats follow me inside. The different rooms have flowers that continue to grow. I cuddle by the fire in my blanket.
I flower into a young woman. As I grow up my cats grow up too. I watch as my cats fall into one another. I let myself think I'm old enough to have coffee everyday with my chocolate. I blanket my thoughts that say otherwise.
I fall for a boy and continue to blanket my thoughts. My cats are suspicious of him. I give my lover some chocolate along with the coffee I make. In turn, he gives me flowers.
I cover my cats in a blanket as they are sick. They can't smell the flowers. I'm sick too and fall into my bed. I can't smell the coffee and chocolate.
Around the boy, I hide my eyes as if under a blanket. Outside, I'm covered in a headscarf as I flower into a young woman. My cats are suspicious of my looks. People congratulate me on deciding to wear the headscarf with flowers and chocolate and I make them coffee.
You can find information and more poems here.
Love, Fida
Check out my book, Her Treasures.
November 13, 2015
My Top 4 NaNo Resolutions
Hi everyone,
We are midway through NaNoWriMo. My word count is currently at 14k. In their recent email they asked about our resolutions for the rest of the month.
My resolution is to let go of the worry of not reaching 50K.
2) to write consistently everyday (mornings work best for me).
3) to continue writing everyday towards my novel after this month is over and to continue to write after 50k, until the story is at the end.
Love, Fida
Check out my book, Her Treasures.
We are midway through NaNoWriMo. My word count is currently at 14k. In their recent email they asked about our resolutions for the rest of the month.
My resolution is to let go of the worry of not reaching 50K.
2) to write consistently everyday (mornings work best for me).
3) to continue writing everyday towards my novel after this month is over and to continue to write after 50k, until the story is at the end.
Love, Fida
Check out my book, Her Treasures.
November 9, 2015
Monday Blessings
Hello Poetteers,
Here are some blessings I took notice of throughout the past week.
Cat cuddles - I think cats can sense when you are upset.
Sleep - take in every hour and every chance. One day you can't and will wish you took that nap.
Mothers - they are your constant. They are there for everything, they to do everything until they can't but are still there to listen.
Something no one else can be. You feel it all when you read/say the word mother.
Friends - support you and are generous with their help and love.
Crafting - just like writing, it's therapeutic.
Strength - you are stronger than you think. You don't know it until you expect the need for it.
Prayer - fully trust in God and everything will be okay.
NaNoWriMo - my story is going in unexpected ways but it's good and I'm loving it. I'm currently at 7k.
Love, Fida
Check out my book, Her Treasures.
Here are some blessings I took notice of throughout the past week.
Cat cuddles - I think cats can sense when you are upset.
Sleep - take in every hour and every chance. One day you can't and will wish you took that nap.
Mothers - they are your constant. They are there for everything, they to do everything until they can't but are still there to listen.
Something no one else can be. You feel it all when you read/say the word mother.
Friends - support you and are generous with their help and love.
Crafting - just like writing, it's therapeutic.
Strength - you are stronger than you think. You don't know it until you expect the need for it.
Prayer - fully trust in God and everything will be okay.
NaNoWriMo - my story is going in unexpected ways but it's good and I'm loving it. I'm currently at 7k.
Love, Fida
Check out my book, Her Treasures.
